Love Beyond the Mask novel Chapter 322

Bryce blurted out, "Jaxon has escaped."

"What?" Whitney stood up abruptly, causing every executive in the room to turn their gaze towards her.

Whitney's face went through a quick succession of changes, making it clear the meeting couldn't proceed. She gestured dismissively, effectively adjourning the meeting, and headed straight back to her office. "How could we let him escape? The bodyguards..."

"He took off when the guards were switching shifts. It's my oversight; I only assigned two of them to watch him. I thought, given his severe lung injury, and considering he was under investigation for manslaughter, he wouldn't run!"

"...," Whitney was taken aback.

She squinted her eyes in thought, piecing it together—Jaxon saw her as a lifeline, a way to get out of the Bartels family's clutches only to ditch her when he saw fit!

She had overlooked something crucial: If Jaxon testified against the Bartels family and admitted his guilt, securing her uncle's release from prison, he'd still face a harsh sentence or even life imprisonment.

People can be so cunning and treacherous. Jaxon wanted to escape scot-free, to save his own skin.

Damn it!

Fury and frustration swirled in her mind as she thought about her uncle still languishing in jail. Without Jaxon coming forward, her uncle's chance for a retrial was slim to none.

He would face the death penalty, while the Bartels family continued to roam free...

Whitney's eyes reddened with emotion, "Bryce, we have to find him, no matter what!"

"I'll have people search the city discreetly right away."

Whitney nodded, her brow furrowed in worry, "Now that he's out, he's a wanted man. With his ID, there's no way he could leave the country, unless he plans to blackmail the Bartels family..."

"If that fool tries to approach the Bartels, it's as good as signing his own death warrant. They'll make sure he doesn't see the courtroom!"

"My fear is that he's not thinking straight, trying to extort both of us for a quick payout. Playing both sides to escape justice."

Whitney spoke coldly, enveloped in anxiety. She felt powerless as she dashed out, "I'm on my way now. Let's try to pick up his trail. I hope he tries to blackmail me first within these three days..."

-

It was 8 PM by the time Whitney dragged her exhausted body back to her apartment.

As she opened the door and was about to kick off her shoes, the nanny rushed over, "Sammy, you're finally..."

But upon seeing Whitney, the nanny's expression shifted, becoming evasive, "Ms. Valentine, it's you!"

"Where's Sammy?" Whitney glanced towards the living room.

But her son's usual playful figure was nowhere to be seen.

She paused, turning to the nanny.

"Sammy, he... he..." the nanny blocked her path, visibly panicked.

Whitney sensed something was wrong from her tone. She searched the master bedroom and the study but found no sign of her son.

"What's going on, isn't Sammy at home?"

"I'm so sorry, Ms. Valentine... Sammy sneaked out at noon!"

The nanny had no choice but to reveal the truth, "He gave me a glass of water, and after drinking it, I felt incredibly sleepy. When I was napping, the little guy told me he was going out to a bridal boutique in the suburbs?

I tried to stop him, but I couldn't get up. That's when I realized the water must've had sleeping pills in it.

It's not the first time he's done something like this, he always came back early on the previous occasions.

I thought he'd be back before you got home today.

But there's been no word from Sammy, and he's not answering his smartwatch. I was afraid of your reaction..."

Whitney's face turned pale.